The Definition of Family
by LetsgototheMax
Summary: Eighteen year-old Luca "Vader" Slater and his German Shepherd, Buster, are caught in the middle of a war between viliainous hacker Cipher and Dominic Toretto. When the fighting transforms from cyber to physical, Luca and Buster must learn the truth about family as they and Dom's crew intend to terminate Cipher. Permanently.
1. Aftermath

It was a couple of days since that barbecue. The barbecue that changed the meaning of "family" forever.

Especially for Dominic Toretto.

It was early in the morning, and Dom was still in bed. The sun was beaming peacefully through the window.

Letty Toretto, Dom's wife, was still asleep, lying on Dom's chest.

Still lying down, Dom once again tried to comprehend everything that happened since their Cuban honeymoon. How he betrayed his family. How the world almost came to an end. How Alena was gone. How much of a bitch Cipher was, and that now, she could be anywhere.

But most importantly, how he now has a son.

Dom's thoughts were shattered when crying could be heard coming from his next room. He couldn't help but groan.

"Looks like someone needs his daddy," a voice next to him said.

Dom turned to his left to see Letty, sitting up and looking down on him.

"Yep, I know. I'll be right back," Dom said, putting on his tank top and going to take care of Brian.

After a minute, Letty got up as well and walked over to the doorway to Brian's room. She saw a sight that never got old: Dom cuddling Brian in his arms as he sucked on a bottle.

"How are my two most favorite men doing?" she asked with a smile to follow.

Dom smiled and chuckled back. Brian cooed and laughed.

Everything was just so perfect and peaceful. No cars, no guns, no explosions, no running, no tanks, cargo jets or submarines. If Letty could stop time and frame this moment in life forever, she would do it in a heartbeat.

Luke Hobbs was back to coaching at his daughter's soccer game. He often thought about his rejection of his job at the DSS, but after glimpsing his daughter play, he knew he made the right choice.

"C'mon, Red Dragons! Hustle up!" he shouted from across the field. The girls came running towards him in an instant.

"Alright ladies. Remember, this is the championship. But deep down, remember that you are each a true winner. Trophies don't make champs. Heart does. Now, do your best and let's do this!"

The little girls yelled and cheered in response. Hobbs then stuck his arm out, and the girls stacked their hands atop one another in the middle of the circle.

"On three! One! Two! Three! Red Dragons!"

"RED DRAGONS!"

As Hobbs watched the girls head back to the field, he saw all of the mothers staring at him with smiles. It was nothing new to him. He simply smiled back and flexed his huge arm. The mothers gasped with delight, with one even passing out.

In downtown L.A., Deckard and Owen Shaw were in a coffee shop, catching up and reminiscing.

"So, why didn't you tell your brother that your arse was still in one piece?" Deckard asked.

"Mum told me not to tell anyone. Especially you," Owen replied.

"Well, it ain't none of mum's business."

"She did it to keep both of us safe, brother."

"Yes. True." Deckard was still confused, but knew it would all pass in time.

"Well, nuff 'bout me. What about you?" Owen asked with enthusiasm.

"Joined that Toretto and his crew."

Owen laughed hard for a minute. "Those bloody yanks that tried to put me in the ground?"

Deckard nodded. "But they're good people, Owen. And I only hated them 'cause they 'killed' you." Deckard raised air quotes. "But since you're alive, it doesn't matter anymore. You should come join us sometime."

"Alright, sure. It's not like mum can take care of me forever."

In the Dominican Republic, Brian and Mia O' Conner were still taking time away from the rest of the team. Mia was cooling off in the pool outside. She was taking every step slowly, since she could give birth to her daughter and go into labor at anytime now.

Back in the house, Jack and Brian were playing "Super Mario Bros." on the huge TV.

"Hey Jack," Brian began. "How do you feel about having a sister?"

"Hmm…" Jack thought. "I'll love her just as much as the two of you. I just hope she doesn't become like the girls at school, though. They're gross!"

Both boys laughed hard. Jack was growing up so fast, and Brian knew it.

Mia entered the house in a wet bikini and wrapped in a towel.

"Mommy!" Jack cheered, and he ran towards her open arms.

"Be careful Jack," Brian warned, but Mia gave him a looked indicating that she would be okay.

After hugging Mia, Jack ran back to Brian, who lifted him up into his arms.

"Let's go for a family walk later," Brian suggested.

"That's an excellent idea," Mia responded with a smile. "I'm gonna shower and change." She then grabbed some dry clothes and headed for the bathroom.

Jack, however, looked sad.

"Don't worry, little buddy," Brian said with encouragement. "Mario will be waiting for you until you get back." He pointed to the TV, which was a paused image of Mario about to reach a mushroom.

"Hmm… Okay then!" Jack said with a smile.

Roman Pearce and Tej Parker were driving at high speed throughout the sandy Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Roman was in a baby-blue Lamborghini, and Tej was in a matte red Maserati.

"I ain't gonna lose to you!" Roman shouted from his wheel.

"I bet ten bucks that your black ass will crash before mine!" Tej responded.

Besides Roman and Tej, Megan Ramsey was also accompanying them. The two challenged one another to a race in their continued battle to see who will win Ramsey's heart first.

Ramsey, who watching the ordeal from a shady beach chair, just rolled her eyes and sighed in annoyance, and went back to her laptop.

Meanwhile, on a Boeing 767, a young man and his dog were about to bring this family together once more.

The man was eighteen, with a mohawk that was dyed yellow. He was muscular, although not as much as Hobbs. He wore a white tank top with a black leather jacket, blue jeans, and white Nike's.

His clothing wasn't his most striking feature. His left arm and leg were gone, replaced by machines. And he wore a breathing apparatus around the lower half of his head. It covered his mouth and nose, and caused his breathing to be heard across the room.

By his side lay a beautiful black and brown German Shepherd. He has been with the man for years, and the two share a close bond. He was well-trained, remaining silent ever since the plane took off. However, just a glimpse would prove that he is still dangerous and savage enough to fight if the time came.

Suddenly, the door opened behind him. A white woman with blonde hair stepped in. She looked gorgeous, yet cast a lethal look. She then walked toward her desk, the sound of her heels the only thing able to be heard, besides the man's breathing.

When the woman sat down at her desk, she and the man shook hands.

"Greetings, Luca. I am Cipher."


	2. Luca

After exchanging handshakes, Luca cleared his throat, and got right down to business.

"Let's get one thing straight. We are only here because we want money," he strictly said.

"Oh, but of course you are," Cipher replied calmly with a smile. "So, I guess you don't want to take out Dominic Toretto and his 'family?'"

"Wait, what? You know about them?" Luca frantically asked, his mood changing instantly.

Cipher chuckled. "Little boy, I am the greatest hacker on the face on the planet. Do you really believe that there are things that occur that I don't know about? Of course I know about Toretto. About what he has done to me. And you."

"You don't know a thing about me," Luca said, suddenly standing up and knocking the chair down. His mask causing him to look maniacal. Off to his side, his German Shepherd looked startled.

"Oh, but I do," Cipher said.

 _July 7, 2012._

 _The sun shone brightly on the face of a 13 year-old Luca Slater. Well, soon to be 14._

 _Still with his original limbs and without the rebreather, Luca was widely considered to be the best-looking boy at his middle school. He still had a blonde mohawk, although it was much shorter then. His deep blue eyes and perfectly tan skin would be enough to make any girl crazy for him. His bulging muscles and black belt in karate made sure none of the bullies got even close to him_

 _As he lay on his bed, playing Call of Duty on his Xbox, Luca heard a knock on his door before it opened._

" _Happy birthday, son!" Luca's mother said._

" _Thanks, mom," Luca replied, pausing his game and hugging his mom. His mother, Veronica, was blonde like Luca, and very pretty. She was a famous model, starring in various beauty companies, such as Victoria's Secret and Vogue._

 _Downstairs, his father was waiting for him._

" _Good morning, young man! How about a special birthday breakfast?" he said as he gestured toward the dining table._

 _Luca's father, Thomas, was ripped and standing at a huge 6'8. A former marine that turned into a famous movie star, Thomas taught his son everything, from hand-to-hand combat to operating firearms. He was layback and funny, but extremely serious and disciplined when the time came._

" _Thanks, dad!" Luca cheered as he ran to the kitchen._

 _After breakfast, Thomas sat down with his son. Judging from the look in his eyes, Luca knew this was going to be one of those "serious" conversation. He just prayed that it wasn't "the" talk about "using protection" with girls._

" _Son, you're thirteen, the beginning of your teenage life," Thomas began. "So, I thought that you're old enough to should have this."_

 _He then handed a rectangular box, wrapped in wrapping paper and tied with a bow. It was pretty heavy, but Luca could tell what it was._

 _After tearing the paper off, Luca could not believe his own eyes._

" _A GOLDEN DESERT EAGLE?" he shouted as his jaw dropped wide open. He examined the handgun carefully. The handle had drawings of skulls. The slide was etched with tally marks. The gold shimmered and shined, almost as it produced a glow of its own._

 _Thomas replied with a hearty laugh._

" _But… how?" Luca asked while stuttering._

" _I received this gun as an award for my service in the Corps. And it's yours now. Happy birthday."_

 _Luca gave his dad a huge and tight hug. Thomas hugged back and chuckled._

" _So, what do you want to do today?" Thomas asked._

" _Let's go to the mall. The three of us," Luca replied._

 _Thomas playfully saluted, along with a "Yes sir!" and went to get ready. Luca couldn't help but laugh._

 _The mall was crowded, from other kids enjoying their summer vacation, to elderly people with their younger family members._

 _Luca listened to the music on his iPhone with much enjoyment. Thomas and Veronica held hands as they watched their son enjoy himself. Tons of paparazzi surrounded the family, but they paid no attention to them as they snapped pictures constantly._

" _Son, it is time for my present to you," Veronica said. "Follow me."_

 _Eventually, the three of them arrived at a pet store. Various dogs, cats, birds, fish and other pets were everywhere, along with tons of pet supplies._

" _You can have any pet in this store," Veronica said with excitement. "But ONLY one pet, understand?"_

" _Yes mom. Thank you!" To Luca, one was all he needed._

 _He instantly knew he wanted a dog. So that's where he looked first. Many dogs were just the usual; pitbulls, chihuahuas, terriers, etc._

 _But then, he came across a dog that he will never forget._

 _A single German Shepherd puppy, looking sad and lonely. When Luca walked up to it, it had a look of hope on its face._

 _Instantly knowing this was the one, Luca asked his mother to buy the dog._

 _The family then decided to get lunch while Luca got more acquainted with the pup._

" _What are you going to name him, son?" Thomas asked._

 _Luca thought hard. He remembered a superhero cartoon he watched when he was little. A superhero named "Buster" who saved the world from evil. He then pictured himself and his dog saving the world from bad guys._

 _Luca then chose the name of Buster, and Thomas nodded his head in agreement._

 _After eating, the three of them were about to exit the mall and head for the parking lot when a low voice spoke over the P.A. It was obviously changed with a scrambler, to hide the identity of the speaker._

 _But it was a voice that Luca could never get out of his head._

" _Greetings, L.A."_

 _The entire mall froze. The music died, the stores became quiet, and the shoppers turned silent._

" _You, along with the rest of America, need to be reminded what it's like to be terrorized. What it's like to suffer. What it's like do die."_

 _Just then, multiple explosions rang out across the mall. Screams were everywhere. Fire sirens were sounded._

 _Luca noticed that the explosions were coming closer, from ahead and behind them._

 _Knowing what to do to protect their son, Thomas and Veronica jumped on top of Luca and Buster._

" _Wait, mom and dad!" Luca managed to get out before being shielded by his parents._

 _Then, everything went dark._


	3. Revenge, at last

_The next time Luca awoke, his ears were ringing loudly. Everything was blurry, but still fresh in his head._

 _Bodies scattered everywhere. Blood was spilt. Fire covered debris and rubble._

 _Slowly turning his head, Luca saw a figure through the fire. He couldn't tell much; however, the person was a man who stood around his height. He was bald and wore a silver cross around his neck. He definitely looked like the type of guy who would have such a low, rough voice, like the one on the P.A._

 _Then, Luca passed out again._

 _The next time Luca opened his eyes, he felt something on his face. It was Buster, licking his nose and ears excitedly._

 _Laughing weakly, Luca picked up Buster and checked his body. He seemed miraculously okay, without any injuries of any kind at all._

 _Luca, on the other hand, felt painful on every part of his body. He then felt apart, like pieces of himself were missing._

 _Sure enough, he looked down to see that his left leg and arm were cleanly amputated and cleanly bandaged._

" _What happened? Where are we, boy?" Luca asked weakly though the oxygen mask._

 _He then looked around to see that he was at a hospital, specifically in the ICU._

 _Then, across from him, he saw a man and a woman lying in two beds next to each other._

 _His mother and father._

" _Mom! Dad!" Luca shouted, taking off the mask in order to shout louder. The lack of air hit him hard, and he instantly felt dizzy. However, nearby nurses came rushing towards him._

" _Calm down, Luca. Your parents… they can't hear you," one of the nurses said._

" _Why? Are they okay?" Luca had never felt so scared in his life._

" _I'm afraid not," another nurse said._

 _The nurse then explained that Thomas and Veronica were in deep comas, and may never wake up again. Their bodies were horribly scared and burned, and both of them wore casts and bandages on their arms and legs._

 _It took Luca a few minutes to process this information, but the nurses waited patiently. Buster whined sadly._

 _Luca then wondered about himself._

" _What… what about me?" he asked._

" _You lost your left arm and leg, but we're guessing you already knew about that," the nurse said. "Also, your respiratory system has been permanently damaged."_

" _What can be done?"_

" _We can provide you prosthetics for your limbs. As for your breathing, you'll have to wear a special mask for the rest of your life."_

 _Luca immediately accepted. He would do anything to exact revenge on whoever hurt his family._

 _Luca then turned on the TV. It was a breaking news report._

" _Breaking news in from Pasadena, California," the news anchor said. "A massive series of bombs destroyed the Glendale Galleria earlier today. Over 200 have been confirmed dead, with thousands more injured, including model Veronica Slater, movie star Thomas Slater, and their son, Luca. No word on their condition yet, but we do have a suspect who has believed to have set the bombs off. A man named Dominic Toretto."_

 _When a picture of this Dominic Toretto was shown on TV, Luca couldn't believe it. That was the same man he saw right after the explosion._

 _Luca could have told someone about his sighting of Dominic, but he didn't. He wanted to kill Dominic himself._

 _Seven surgeries and a couple of weeks later, Luca was discharged, along with Buster. Sporting metal limbs and a breathing apparatus around his head, Praying that his parents would wake up once again, Luca knew where to go next._

 _He and Buster headed back to their old house, which felt strange, since it was empty._

 _He went up to his room and took out the golden Desert Eagle his father had given him. He clutched the gun and looked in the mirror._

" _The world will now know me as Vader," Luca said to himself, his mechanical breathing filling the room._

 _As he said that, his head turned to one of the most famous villains of all time, Darth Vader from Star Wars. They were both cyborgs. They both wore masks. They both breathed the same noise._

 _And now, Luca pledged to himself that he would do whatever felt necessary to avenge his mom and dad. Even if it was wrong. Even if it was evil._

 _Just like what Darth Vader did._

And now, five years later.

"You see, Luca. No secrets of yours are kept from me," Cipher said. "I know you hate Dom just as much as I do. Perhaps even more."

"I want his head on my wall," Luca said angrily.

"And you shall," Cipher said, while typing on her computer. "Take a look at this."

As Cipher turned the screen around, Luca saw a live satellite image. It was a rooftop in L.A. Then, as he saw the camera zoom in, he noticed one of the figures standing by the BBQ grill.

It was Dominic. The others must have been his "family" that Cipher mentioned.

"Oh, the hunger in your eyes. Your lust for revenge," Cipher said with malice as she watched Luca's eyes glued to the screen. "And guess where we are, my sweet Luca?"

"Above them," Luca responded as if an idea popped into his head. He then left the room and took off for the cargo bay, Buster following behind.

He grabbed a parachute for himself and a tactical K9 vest for Buster, loaded his pistol, and licked his chops under his mask. Finally, vengeance has arrived.

Over the speakers, Cipher spoke, "Luca, are you sure?"

Luca turned his head to the left and nodded upwards at the camera. The next thing he knew, the cargo door opened. The rush of wind, along with the sun setting to the west made him feel tranquil deep down inside.

But it wouldn't last for long.

Hooking Buster to his chest, Luca jumped out and dived towards the earth. He fell and fell, as if he were a fallen angel, descending from the grace of God to Hell below.

After what felt like forever, he pulled the parachute, and aimed for the rooftop. Just a few more seconds to go.

"What the hell is that?" Roman asked, putting his Corona down.

Everyone stopped what they were doing as they saw Luca coming closer and closer.

"Is that… a bird?" Samantha asked.

"No, sweetie," Hobbs responded. "That's…"

"… A person! Get down!" Letty shouted.

At that moment, Vader unhooked Buster and his parachute, and landed on the concrete. He directly ran and charged for Dominic, tackling and grappling him to the ground.

As the two men wrestled, everyone else got up and ran to help Dom, but Buster got in between them and Dom and Luca. Baring his teeth and pacing back and forth, he was ready to challenge anyone of them. No one dared to make a move, not even Letty.

After a bunch of punches and kicks, Luca grabbed Dom by the face with his prosthetic hand and turned to face his crew. Then, he noticed baby Brian behind them in his carrier.

"That your son, Toretto?" a sweaty Luca asked in ragged breaths to a bloody and panting Dominic. "Well, he's about to be a fatherless bastard." Luca then laughed while pulling his pistol out, cocked it, and pointed its barrel at Dom's head.

He didn't care if children watched, or if the baby was about to lose a parent. He was waiting for this moment for years.

"NO!" Letty and Mia shouted simultaneously, beginning to cry with tears. Everyone had wide eyes and dropped jaws.


	4. Time for a talk

Just before Luca pulled the trigger, he heard screams.

Running towards him were Letty and Brian, while Hobbs, Tej, Roman, Owen and Deckard struggled to hold Buster back. Mia, Ramsey, Jack and Samantha stood by Brian, who began to cry.

Forcing to let go of Dom to protect himself, Luca attempted to threw Dom at the grill, but just missed. His focus then turned to Letty and Brian.

Luca then found himself sandwiched in between Letty and Brian, dodging and blocking both of their attacks with rebelling with his own.

Eventually, the two of them overpowered Vader, and he was held down.

Dominic, injured but still standing, limped over to Luca. Letty ran over to support him.

"Who are you?" he asked, his shadow cloaked over Luca.

"You don't me," Luca relied in between laughs, "but I know you. As the monster that killed my family."

Dom raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"What do we do with him and his dog, boss?" Brian asked.

"Take them to DSS HQ. We'll question him," Dom ordered, pointing to Luca.

Brian told Luca to get up, and he did so without any resistance. Eventually everyone headed to the car garage. They formed a convoy of sorts, with Dom's Dodge leading, followed by Brian, Mia, and Jack's Nissan. Hobbs' DSS armored truck, which contained Samantha in the front and Luca and Buster in the back, was third in line. Fourth was Roman's Chevy, which housed Ramsey and Tej. Fifth were the Owen brothers in their Aston Martin.

The long car drive was quiet and tense. When everyone arrived at the DSS building, they all sighed in relief, even Luca.

Led out in handcuffs and shackles, Luca followed Hobbs, with a muzzled Buster by his side. The rest of the crew, especially Dom, was watching their every move carefully from behind. A couple of times, Luca turned back and looked straight into Dom's eyes, hate and rage burning well within.

When they got to the interrogation room, Dom, Hobbs and Brian sat down from across the chained Luca and Buster.

"C'mon guys, couldn't you have gotten something comfortable for me," Luca joked, staring sadly at the cold, hard metal chair he was in. "Maybe leather, or maybe a bean bag?"

"Haha, very funny, smartass," Hobbs replied. None of the three men were smiling, even in the slightest.

Luca turned his head to the left and saw a mirror. But he knew that he was being watched. Leticia, Mia, Roman, Tej and Ramsey watched, while Deckard and Owen were playing with the kids behind them.

"So, who is this guy?" Mia asked.

"And what does he have against my husband?" Letty followed. Everyone continued to watch the interrogation with intense focus.

"And why is he wearing that mask?" Tej asked. "It makes him look cool, along with his cyber-limbs."

Everyone glanced at him with a serious face.

"What? Just saying…" Tej said as he took another sip of his nearly empty Corona.

"So, you're Luca Slater," Hobbs began. "Son to Veronica and Thomas Slater."

"Sorry about your parents, kid," Dom sympathetically said.

To everyone's surprise, Luca burst out with uncontrollable laughter. The three men looked at each other with confusion.

"What the hell is wrong with this kid?" Roman asked.

After calming down, Luca spoke again. "What… what do you know about being sorry?"

"Excuse me, what?" Brian asked.

"July 7, 2012," Luca said. "The Glendale Galleria."

Luca then went on to explain everything. Reliving throughout his nightmare, his voice breaking as tears ran down from his eyes.

Everyone had a look of sadness on their faces. Buster whined sadly next to Luca.

"I will never forgive you, Dominic Toretto," Luca said with intense hatred and anger as he raised his head. The breathing through his mask grew more rapid and intense.

"Listen to me, kid," Dominic said with a serious look. "That wasn't me."

"SHUT UP, YOU DAMN LIAR!" Luca screamed as he pounded the metal table with his handcuffed hands. Everyone jumped back in shock, even Buster. After moving his hands, everyone could see that Luca had actually dented the table and left a huge crater right where his hands landed.

"I saw you leave the room that operates the P.A. system. Your voice matches the one played over the speakers before the detonation. And most of all, you just walked away, when you could have done something with your pathetic, waste-of-space life!"

"Hey! Look here, you little son of a..." Dom began as he walked toward Luca. However, Hobbs stopped him.

"Hey man, it's okay. Obviously, the kid has been through a lot, and it's not his fault that he blames you. If you were in his position, you would probably think the same thing. Now, you have to prove that you were innocent."

"He's right, Dom," Brian followed.

"Okay. You want proof, you got it," Dom said calmly, pointing at Luca. "Tej, Ramsy, come in here."

Tej and Ramsey entered, laptops in hand, and began their furious typing after a couple of minutes, Ramsey silenced Luca's metallic breathing, saying "Got it!"

"See, that's why I love you," Tej said with dreamy eyes.

"Shut up," Ramsey responded. "anyway, take a look." She then turned the laptop to face Luca.

What Luca saw next changed his world forever.


	5. An island of truth in a sea of lies

What Luca initially saw was security camera footage, the day that he was at the mall.

Everything looked normal, until he saw someone suspicious enter the security room. The view then switched to the inside of the security room. The person finished shooting two guards, and strangled a third.

Whoever this person was, it definitely wasn't Dominic. He had red hair.

The person then spoke over the intercom and pressed the trigger for the explosives. The footage then cut out and went to static.

After Ramsey took the computer away from Luca, Dom said, "Now, you see? I didn't arrive 'till later. I heard that the mall exploded, and my wife, Leticia, was shopping on that day. I just went to make sure she was okay."

"Who is that bastard?" Luca continued, not listening to Dom's alibi.

"That is Connor Rhodes," Hobbs said. "He works for Cipher. But he won't be around anymore."

"Wait… who?" Luca asked, thinking that he misheard Hobbs.

"Cipher. A bitch of a hacker, or a woman for that matter," Letty said as she and everyone else entered the room.

"Mhmm. She killed a close member of our family, right in front of me, and in the same room with my son," Dom said painfully, remembering Alena's final moments.

Luca couldn't believe what he was hearing. The one who was willing to help Luca and Buster, a once pitiful boy and his dog with no one to turn to. The one who was going to help him exact revenge, the only reason why he still existed on the face of the planet.

"Why, do you know her?" Hobbs asked.

"Yes. Buster and I are in league with her. Well, _were_ with her."

"It seems that we now have a mutual enemy. Will you help us?" Dom asked, reaching his hand out. Everyone looked on nervously.

Luca responded by extending an arm of his own and shook Dom's. Sighs and claps could be heard around them. Buster barked with joy as the two men grinned.

"Welcome to the team," Hobbs said, releasing Luca's chains and Buster's muzzle.

"Well, it's the least I can do for you guys, after screwing up your barbecue. Sorry about that," Luca said, looking at the ground.

"Don't sweat it, kid," Roman said with encouragement, putting a hand around his shoulder.

"Yeah, you're one of us now. Ain't that right, Toretto?" Deckard asked.

Dominic nodded, with Letty's arms wrapped around him.

"Alright let's get to work," a confident and pumped-up Luca said.

"Alright," Hobbs said. "But first, we need any and all intel you got on Cipher. Anything will do."

"Hmm. Okay. Well, last time I saw her was in her 767. When I attacked you guys, we were three miles above your heads. But that was hours ago. She could be anywhere."

Just then, Ramsey shouted, "Uh, guys. My computer's starting to glitch."

"Mine too," Tej said.

"Looks like we don't have to find her," Luca said.

"That's right, Vader," a familiar voice spoke, coming from the computers. "I am coming for you."

Then, a loud explosion caused the door of the interrogation room to come down. Masked men with automatic rifles and submachine guns entered, pointing the guns at everyone, including the kids.

"Everyone against the wall!" One of the soldiers shouted.

"C'mon, we don't have all day!" another yelled.

Doing as instructed, everyone raised their arms, next to one another, back against the cold concrete.

"Well, well, well, how disappointing."

Cipher then appeared trough the destroyed doorway.

"C'mon, Luca. I give one simple job, and you fail that."

"At least I don't blow up shopping malls, put parents into comas, and then lie straight to the faces of their children," Luca said harshly, barely able to contain his anger.

Cipher giggled. "Well, welcome to the real world, boy. Now, you have two choices, either work with the greatest in the world," she pointed to herself, "or with these racing rats that steal and hurt, just for their benefit."

Everyone seemed to glare at her with anger.

Walking towards her, Luca said, "I would rather work with the Hitler, bin Laden, or Satan himself than with you again."

"So, you're really just another maggot, like them, growing fat off of every heist, shootout, or race they can get their hands on." She gestured her head towards the crew.

"No! It's because they have provided a family for us when you failed to!" Luca shouted, mere inches from Cipher's face.

Wiping the spit off her face, Cipher turned around, headed for the exit, and ordered her six soldiers to execute Luca and the crew. The soldiers then formed one line, about six feet from the crew, and prepared their weapons.

"READY!" the commander shouted. The soldiers cocked and locked their guns simultaneously.

"AIM!" The soldiers raised their weapons and turned on their laser sights, to make it easier to aim. Luca raised his eyes up to see a red dot on his forehead.

"Well, it was nice knowing you guys," Roman said, almost tearfully.

"Shut up," Hobbs said. "It ain't over yet."

Luca closed his eyes, preparing for the end. He then heard gunshots, but he wasn't dead. In fact he wasn't even shot. When he opened his eyes again, the firing squad was dead, lying in pools of their own blood.

He saw more soldiers, but they wore a different uniforms. Then, an older man wearing a suit and sunglasses entered.

"Ugh. What a mess."

"Mr. Nobody, thank God you're here!" Tej and Roman walked up to the man and shook his hand.

Meanwhile, the parents went to check on their kids. Samantha ran to Hobbs and sobbed softly in his arms. Brian, Mia and Jack hugged tightly. Dominic and Letty calmed baby Brian down, who was crying the loudest.

Smiling at the safe parents and kids, Luca turned to see Ramsey petting and stroking Buster, who was panting with his tongue sticking out.

 _So, this is what family is, huh?_ Luca thought.

His thoughts were interrupted when the older man walked to him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Luca Slater?"

"That's my name. And what's yours."

"Don't really have one. Just call me Mr. Nobody."

The two then shook hands.

"So, I have word you have intel on the world's most dangerous cyber-terrorist?"

"That's right. She was just here, not too long ago."

"I know. Roman and Tej filled me in. Anyway, you'll need everything and everyone here to stop Cipher. How about we start with the systems of transportation?"

Mr. Nobody led Luca alone to the DSS garage. Supercars filled the room, along with other special goodies, such as a militarized tank and an armory of weaponized drones.

"So, what do you think?" Mr. Nobody asked.

"I'm home," Luca replied in a dreamy state. Even though the mask obscured his mouth, he was obviously smiling beneath it.


	6. One-man army

Mr Nobody saw the look in Luca's eyes.

"Anyone is fair game."

"That one, right there, is my new girlfriend," Luca immediately said, pointing at a white Pagani Huayra in front of him.

Mr. Nobody tossed Luca the keys, indicating that he really was serious. Shouting in amazement, Luca ran full speed towards the car, like he was a contestant on The Price is Right.

After Luca finished admiring his new car, he headed back to where the crew was hanging out at. He knew he was in the garage for hours, because the elevator window revealed that it was already early dawn.

He arrived at the cafeteria level, where he found everyone else eating breakfast. It was a buffet, everything from sausages and toast to coffee and fruit.

After gathering a plate, feeding Buster and chatting and eating with his new family, Vader and Buster headed back to the elevator.

"Hey, Luca. You good? Where you headed?" Dom called out from the table, Letty on his lap and Mia resting her head on his shoulder.

"A short trip to the gym," Luca responded.

"Knock 'em dead," Brian shouted. Everyone cheered and gave him encouragement.

"That's something I was born to do," Luca said, causing laughter. He and Buster entered the elevator and headed upwards for a workout.

As he changed in the locker room, taking his leather jacket off and put a pair of camo combat cargo pants on, Luca once again processed everything that occurred throughout the day. His attack on Dom. The truth of his past revealed. The lies of his previous closest ally.

Shaking it all out of his head, he and Buster headed out into the desolate workout center to rebuild and reclaim themselves.

After some dumbbells and weights, Vader went over to a large punching bag. Meanwhile, Buster was preoccupied on a treadmill that Luca had set up for him.

His mechanized breathing the only thing he could hear, Vader landed one punch on the bag. Then another. And another. And another. The sound of his skin and metal making contact with the material of the bag.

Then, in between punches, Luca saw flashes. Flashes of that day his parents sacrificed themselves for him. And how it was all because of Cipher. It wasn't unusual for Luca to have flashbacks, but these ones were so real, so intense and vivid.

It wasn't until the bag hit the ground in an enormous thud and the sand within spilling onto the floor that Luca stopped and realized what he had done. His right fist was covered in bloody scrapes, while his prosthetic bore multiple scratches.

He then saw a figure standing to his right side, and new immediately that it was Dom.

"How long have you been here?" Luca asked in raspy, mechanical breaths. His entire body was soaked in sweat.

"Long enough to know that nobody wants to be that punching bag," Dom said, gesturing his head towards the fallen bag next to Luca.

"Listen, Dominic. I never got the chance to properly say that I'm sorry for all of the trouble that I caused you and your family."

Listen, Luca. All you were trying to do was protect and fight for your family. I've been there before. I understand how you feel." Dom then placed a comforting hand on Luca's shoulder.

"Thanks," Luca said, stunned at how compassionate Dom could be.

"You're welcome," Dom said with a smile. "Wanna come back with us?"

"Sure. I would like to get to know my family more," Luca said with excitement. He stopped Buster's treadmill and grabbed his leather jacket and jeans, and headed back downstairs with Dom.

After officially meeting everyone, Luca sat down with the adults while Buster played with Jack, Samantha and baby Brian.

"So, what are we going to do about Cipher?" Luca curiously asked. The group was quiet for a minute, until Mr. Nobody entered.

"We wait for her next move."

"Sounds smart, but wait for what?" Letty asked.

"Well, I wasn't there last time, but I heard she is attracted to nuclear codes, EMPs and large submarines. Practically anything to start a war. Maybe something along those lines?" Brian suggested.

"Hmm. Not bad, 'O Connor," Dom said.

"But where on this earth do we get one of those things?" Roman asked.

"Leave that to the hackers," Deckard said, nodding to Tej and Ramsey. "They'll find something for us."

Luca nodded. He then felt Mr. Nobody's hand tap him from behind.

"Come downstairs. We have some new 'toys' for you." He used air quotes to emphasize "toys."

Luca, following Mr. Nobody, was led to a different floor than the garage. Instead of cars, there were weapons, clothing, and gadgets of every kind racked up on the walls and tables.

"We engineered these for the U.S. military," Nobody said as he pointed to a harness, holster, and pair of gloves. "But, we need a guinea pig first."

"And let me guess. I'm that guinea pig," Luca said.

Mr. Nobody smiled, indicating that Luca was right.

"Don't worry. You'll love it. I guarantee it."

He then walked back to the elevator and headed back upstairs, leaving Luca to his own devices.

Walking over to the gadgets and equipment, Luca was amazed at what he saw. He picked up the harness first.

"Comes with a built-in wingsuit, parachute and gun-rack," a technician said. Luca then equipped the harness around his chest and back.

"Made to store .50 caliber handguns," another technician said as Luca placed the holster around his waist. His Desert Eagle fit nice and snug in it, hanging on his right thigh.

"Let me guess," Vader began as he put the gloves on. "Grabbling hooks, made of titanium steel, with carbon-fiber and nylon extension ropes that extend 50 feet."

"You seem to know your stuff," the technician said.

"Time for a test," Luca said. He then headed over to an obstacle course that was set up with many practice targets and dummies meant for shooting practice.

The starting alarm blared as Luca ran behind cover. He then extended his right grappling hook at one of the targets, and brought it towards him. Using his left hook, he shot it at a wall, and reeled himself in. His world suddenly turned on its side.

Vader was amazed. Nothing could have prepared him for that.

He then shot both hooks from both hands to two separate targets and swung them towards each other. With a loud clunk, Luca let out a hard laugh.

 _So, I can swing like Spiderman and skewer bad guys like a kebab chef,_ he thought to himself.

After he finished his trial run, Luca headed back to the guns. He pulled out an M4A1 with a drum magazine, EOTech holographic sight, underbarrel M203 grenade launcher and extendable buttstock.

Next was a M1014 semi-automatic shotgun, loaded with explosive and incendiary 12 gauge shells.

Third was two flashbang non-lethal stun grenades, and two m26 fragmentation grenades.

Last, he unsheathed a kabar military knife. He stared at his reflection in the cold steel before sheathing it and holstering it around his left thigh.

Clipping his rifle and shotgun on his back, he headed out to the test course once again, this time for target practice.

Before he started, he heard footsteps on the balcony above. He saw the crew looking back; Vader could sense that they were looking to see if he was worthy of joining them.

He heard barking growing louder and louder. Luca turned his head to see Buster running towards him.

"Together," Luca said with determination as he petted Buster's head. Buster responded with a loud, firm bark.

All of the DSS workers stopped what they were doing and rushed over to watch Luca. They knew what they were about to witness was special.

The starting alarm blared. Luca ran to cover and un-holstered his M4, taking out five targets within three seconds. Buster ran and pounced on a target of his own, chewing on the metal as if it was flesh and bone.

Moving up, Luca continued to mow targets down until he ran out of ammo for his rifle. He then switched to his shotgun and blasted holes in several more.

At the very end of the course, the last three dummies stood. Deciding to practice his stealth skills, Luca snuck up on the side of the left dummy and stabbed it with his knife.

He then instructed Buster to attack the right dummy, and he shot out his grappling hook at the middle dummy. Luca then raised his arm upwards, causing the hook and dummy to follow. The dummy then hit the ground hard as Luca reeled the hook back into his hand.

Cheers and applause filled the building as Luca and Buster exited the course. He headed towards to the crew, who came downstairs by this point.

After being smother by high-fives, hugs and compliments, Luca felt like he could destroy the entire world, blood boiling in his veins.


	7. Elmo

When the crew headed back to the command center, the main computer beeped, and the largest screen flashed.

"What's going on?" Letty asked.

"Hmm. Looks like we got a hit," Ramsey said. Her and Tej typed on nearby keyboards, zooming in to where the alert was coming from. The screen, which then became a map of the Earth, zoomed in on the top left corner of Africa.

"Sierra Leone?" Luca wondered. "What does this place have to do with Cipher?" Everyone was asking the same question in their heads.

Mr. Nobody then answered.

"Reports say that third-world African countries, including Sierra Leone, is where Cipher is raising an army. An army that mainly consists of child soldiers."

Luca felt angry, knowing that Cipher is turning innocent children into killers made to die for her.

"Her new second-in-command, Robert McDaniel, is currently overseeing the development there," Mr. Nobody continued.

"And we catch McDaniel, we catch Cipher," Hobbs said, connecting the dots.

"Alright team. We're going to Sierra Leone," Dom announced.

They headed for the garage, where Dom began talking to the lead mechanic.

"I want the best armor, along with NOS, bulletproof wheels, and grappling hooks on all of my crew's cars. Including him." Dom then pointed to Luca.

The mechanic nodded, then returned to work.

Three hours past. The crew had driven themselves to the airport and drove their cars into a C-17 headed for Sierra Leone.

Onboard, everyone was asleep. Dom, Letty and little Brian curled up in Dom's Challenger. Brian and Mia cuddled on his Subaru's hood. Owens, Deckard and surprisingly Hobbs laid down next to one another. Luca heard they had issues over the past few years. Samantha and Jack were together, with a single blanket swept over them. They looked like blood-related siblings. Tej and Roman held to one another as if they were a married couple, while Ramsey's head was on her laptop's keyboard.

The only two that were awake on the plane were Luca and Mr. Nobody, who was talking to the plane's crew and pilots.

Luca looked down at his feet to see Buster nuzzled, fast asleep as well.

Luca then got up and picked up his German Shepherd and placed him on the foldable chairs along the plane's walls.

He then began to pace back and forth along the plane, thinking about Sierra Leone. About Cipher and McDaniel. And how close he was to avenging his parents.

He wondered if they would be proud of him when they woke up. IF they woke up. Or would they be angry, perhaps horrified at what he knew he was going to become.

He knew that blood would be shed in Sierra Leone. Whether he liked it or not. And it was up to him to deal with it and to keep moving forward.

His breathing felt louder than the four jet engines outside. As Vader continued to pace, he took out his phone and stared at a selfie he took of his family, before the explosion.

Then, a text that popped up broke his conversation. It came from a "Mr. N."

 _See me upstairs,_ the text read.

Luca then put his phone back into his pocket and climbed up the stairway and into the cockpit.

"Good, good." Mr. Nobody said, rubbing his hands together as he walked towards Luca. "This is our last gift to you."

He then handed Luca a silver briefcase the size of a lunchbox.

"What is it?" Luca asked, inspecting the case.

"If I told you, that would be a huge spoiler," Nobody said with a wink. "Now, go to sleep. Sierra Leone is only a few hours away."

After leaving the cockpit and going back down to the cargo bay, Luca climbed to the roof of his Huayra and sat down. He opened the briefcase to reveal the next age of war and combat.

"Oh. My. God," Luca whispered to himself.

It was a combat quadrotor drone the size of an iPhone 7 plus. On the back, it read "ELMO: Electronic Laser-Mounted Operator."

"Okay, Elmo, let's see what you can do."

Luca pressed the power button, and a green light appeared on the drone's front. It unfolded from its box shape and into the appearance of a typical drone.

"Activating personality module," it spoke in a male British voice. "Hello, user. I am an Electronic Laser-Mounted Operator, but you can just call me Elmo. What might your name be?"

"Hello, Elmo. I am Luca "Vader" Slater. You only have to call me one of those things, though."

"Well then, Luca "Vader" Slater. It is nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too," Vader responded. Touching Elmo's steel chassis.

Luca then filled Elmo on his life story and everything that occurred over the past couple of days, along with their current objective.

"Well, I calculate a 7.194% chance of success," Elmo said.

"Never tell me the odds," Luca responded, clutching his fist as he turned his head towards his sleeping family.


	8. Sierra Leone

After what seemed like forever, the pilot finally announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Lungi International Airport, Sierra Leone."

Everyone woke up and was relieved, especially Luca. Even though he slept for only a couple of hours, he was out like a lightbulb.

"Alright, listen up," Mr. Nobody said. "First, we head to a base run by the RSLAF. We drop of Mia and the kids, and we're on our own on our hunt for McDaniel. Any questions?"

Jack raised his hand as if he was in school.

"What's the RSLAF?" he asked in an innocent voice.

"The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces," Mr. Nobody answered.

"Hmm? What's that," Jack asked curiously, tilting his head.

"The good guys," Luca said, bending down to Jack with a wink and a smile.

"Oh. Yay!" Jack cheered, causing laughter and giggles to sound throughout the airplane.

"Alright. Let's roll," Dom ordered, and everyone got in their cars and drove out of the plane.

All around, there was signs of poverty and violence. Kids that were skin and bone were scrounging around a grassy field looking for whatever they could eat. A man was being beaten by a warlord while his wife was crying and being held back by militia men. An old lady was drinking contaminated water straight from a river when a crocodile lunged at her and almost grabbed her leg.

"Damn," Luca said. "Am I glad to live in America. I feel bad for driving around in this nice car," he said in a sad voice.

The radio was silent, but Luca heard volumes of sympathy coming from the rest of the crew.

They eventually arrived at the base, where everyone grabbed their weapons and Mia and the kids were dropped off.

"Promise you'll come back?" Mia asked tearfully to Brian.

"I promise."

He then hugged her and Jack.

Luca then looked over at Hobbs and Samantha.

"Daddy's gotta go to work," he said with a smile. Samantha then hugged her father, barely able to reach his chest.

Meanwhile, Dom and Letty were holding little Brian in his carrier.

"Goodbye, for now, son," Dom said softly. Letty then kissed his cheek from behind as she stroked Brian's head before giving him to Mia. The gang watched as the four of them entered the building, along with Mr. Nobody.

The crew then entered their cars and drove back onto the road.

"Okay," Mr. Nobody said over the radio. "According to local intelligence, McDaniel is hiding out in a fortified bunker in the town of Makeni. It's northwest of your current location."

"We're on it," Dom replied.

Then together, the sound of seven super and sports cars echoed across the African countryside. Both people and animals turned their heads as engines roared louder than any lion on the Savannah.

After a long thirty-minute drive, they arrived at what looked like a fortress. Tall walls and a number of armed personnel. Luca knew they were in the right place.

"I think it's time for a little forced entry," Roman called over the radio.

"That's what we're best at," Owen replied.

"Stack up on me," Hobbs called, and the cars drove in a single-file line behind his armored truck. The only thing keeping them safe from the tons of bullets being shot at them was their bulletproof armor, windshields and windows.

"RPG!" Tej shouted, and a rocket impacted and exploded near the cars, but they kept on driving.

Luca was sweating and a little nervous. His father taught him many things, but knocking a hole in a wall with a multi-million-dollar car was NOT one of them. It felt like forever before he passed through the hole…

…and straight into Hell.

Dozens of assault rifles and machine guns were breathing fire directly at them from in front. The team then formed and drove in circles. They all exited their vehicles towards the inside of the circle, so that they were protected by their ring of cars.

Luca cleared out several of the soldiers with his rifle. Dom, Brian and Letty also started spraying some bad guys down. Hobbs aimed his light machine gun at several snipers in watchtowers. Roman and Tej covered Ramsey, who shot some of the militia men with a pistol she was given.

Eventually, all of the men dropped dead, and the crew entered further in. Eventually, they discovered an old house that looks abandoned.

"This is it? All they were protecting was this?" Letty asked, sounding disappointed.

"No. This is just a cover," Dom replied.

"He's right," Ramsey continued, pulling her laptop out. "Check this out." She then faced the screen towards everyone else.

"Multiple heat signatures," Deckard said.

"Dozens of them," Owen followed.

"And the entrance to that rabbit hole is over there," Hobbs finished, looking at the house.

"Alright, let's move," Vader commanded. Just as they reached the front door, he stopped and held his arm out.

"Whoa. Whoa," he said, slightly in a panic, his mask increasing the sound of his breathing.

"What's up?" Brian asked.

"This door is rigged with an improvised explosive device," Luca said.

"Can't we disarm it?" Roman asked.

Luca shook his head.

"We'd have to enter the house and disarm it from behind the door. But the only other two possible ways of entering the house are the windows next to the door, and I'm sure they're rigged as well."

"So, what do we do?" Dom asked, looking concerned.

"Leave it to me," Luca said, and he pulled Elmo out.

Elmo converted from a box form into drone form. And hovered out of Luca's hands.

"Whoa, what is that?" Ramsey asked.

"Hello. I am an Electrical Laser-Mounted Operator, but you can call me Elmo," the drone said.

"Elmo, I need you to disarm an IED behind this door." Luca then pointed to the door.

"Roger. Standby." The drone then flew into the window and wasn't spotted until he disarmed the bomb and cut the door down with his mounted laser.

"Thanks, Elmo," Luca said with relief before turning Elmo into a box again and placing him on his back, next to his guns.

"Found the trapdoor!" Roman shouted, and everyone walked towards him.

Roman opened the door to reveal pitch darkness below.

"Alright, everyone, turn on your flashlights," Dom ordered.

"I'll take point with NVGs," Luca suggested. Dom nodded his head. Luca then put night-vision goggles on and took his shotgun out.

Luca jumped into the hole, as there was no ladder. He hit the ground with a groan and splash.

"Not to discourage anyone, but it's further down than you think," Luca said, his voice echoing throughout the caves. Roman winced a little, as he was afraid of heights. "It's also wet and filthy."

One by one, everyone jumped in. First Dom. Then Letty, Hobbs, Tej, and the Shaws. The only two that were left were Ramsey and Roman, who was shaking yet petrified.

"Oh, come on, you big baby. You're holding up the line," Ramsey said. She then pushed Roman into the hole. All that was heard was screaming, followed by a splash.

Ramsey then jumped down herself.

The crew eventually spotted seven soldiers, who did not notice them. They were in a larger room of the cave, surrounded by beds and crates of supplies. A single lamp in the middle cast a dim light within the room.

"Stay here, I'll be back," Luca said with a smile.

He then used his grappling hook to break the lamp, which caused the militia soldiers to panic. They sprayed their rifles around blindly, but did not manage to hit him.

Screams, shouts, and gagging could then be heard. When the crew turned their flashlights back on, Vader stood in the center of seven dead bodies. His grapple hooks, vest, and mask were covered in blood.

The crew moved in onto the last room, the entrance holding a large steel door.

Luca knew Elmo could cut the door down with his laser. He deployed the drone, while Ramsey pulled her laptop out.

"I detect two heat signatures. One must be McDaniel.

Elmo then finished cutting the door, but what Luca saw next changed everything for him.

Robert McDaniel wasn't in the room. Instead, Vader saw a blonde girl beating a militia soldier with her fists.

At first, Luca thought it was Cipher, but a second glimpse almost instantly showed he was wrong. Yes, the girl was a blonde, but she was tanner than Cipher. She also wore her hair in a bun, a hairstyle that Cipher didn't favor. Most of all, she looked much younger, just a year or two younger than Vader was.

"Drop the gun!" Brian and Hobbs shouted.

"What? Luca?" the girl asked.

"Hailey?" Luca asked back with wide eyes.

The two stared for a while, before Dom broke the silence.

"Um… you two know each other?"

Luca turned towards him.

"Yeah, this girl... is my sister."


	9. Robert McDaniel

"SISTER?!" The whole crew exclaimed at once. This was a shock because the media never reported on Veronica and Thomas having a daughter, only Luca.

"Yes," the girl replied shyly. "Hello, I'm Colby Slater."

Her face began to blush as she looked towards the ground. Her blonde hair shimmered just as much as her brother's mohawk.

They returned back to the surface. Colby entered Luca's Huayra as they headed back to base.

"So, sister, I hear you have intel on one Robert McDaniel?" Luca asked.

After nodding, Colby said, "I do. I shall reveal all in time."

The crew arrived and parked in the base, which was basically about a dozen wooden huts, along with vehicles and helicopters.

They headed inside the largest hut, where Mia and the kids were eating ice cream.

"Daddy!" Samantha and Jack shouted, running to their fathers.

Meanwhile, Dom and Letty walked up to Mia.

"My nephew's been sleeping this entire time," she said, nodding her head over at Brian, sleeping in a crib.

The couple then walked over to the side of the crib and watched their son with smiles on their faces.

Mr. Nobody then entered, along with armed guards.

"So, did you get McDaniel?"

Luca shook his head. "Not unless McDaniel is a girl."

He pointed to Colby, who was still a little nervous.

Eventually, the crew moved into another hut, with a large map of Sierra Leone.

"Alright. Let's get to work," Dom said, rubbing his hands, obviously excited for Colby's intel.

Everyone gathered around the map. Colby took a Sharpie marker, preparing to mark the map up.

"Okay. If you want Cipher, then you gotta go back from where you came from. She's no longer here, and went back to America."

She noticed her brother's disappointed face, along with sighs and groans from everyone else.

"But, McDaniel is still here, in the capital of Freetown." Colby then circled Freetown on the map.

"That's less than 20 miles from here," Brian said.

"We'll catch the bloody bastard," Deckard said with a nod. "Just like old times, eh?" He looked at Owen, who smiled.

"He'll be driving around in an armored convoy around the town," Colby continued.

"How do you know all of this?" Letty asked suspiciously.

"Uh… I… I had overheard McDaniel over the phone, talking to Cipher," she said while stammering.

"Uh, okay," Roman and Tej responded, looking monotone.

"Sorry. My sister is a little shy around strangers," Luca said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She looked at the ground again.

"Oh. How rude of us," Dom said, walking towards them. He then introduced everyone to Colby.

After waving softly in response, Colby then went to play with the kids.

"Huh. She'll fit perfectly in your team, Toretto," Mr. Nobody said. "Anyway, you're rolling out in five minutes."

Dom nodded. "Alright team. We leave in five! Pack up and let's go!"

"Promise you'll be ok?" Mia asked worriedly.

"Always am," Brian said with a wink.

"Daddy's gotta go to work?" Samantha asked.

Hobbs nodded and hugged his daughter.

Dom and Letty glanced at the sleeping Brian in his crib.

"Don't worry, I'll guard him with my life," Mia said with a smile. "Even if I am pregnant."

She then hugged her brother and sister-in-law.

Meanwhile, Luca, Tej, Roman and the Owen brothers were loading up their weapons. Cipher was typing once more on her laptop.

Vader then felt something wrap around his waist. He looked down to see Colby's arms around him.

"What happened to you?" she asked softly from behind. "You became like Arnold Schwarzenegger from Terminator."

"Long story. One to tell after McDaniel has paid and suffered," Vader replied with heavy breaths through his apparatus.

"Okay." Colby then kissed her brother's cheek and began to load a MP5 submachine gun.

"Uh, what are you doing with that?" Luca asked with concern.

"What? I'm going with you," she responded, as if Luca's question was extremely stupid.

"No, you're not," Luca said.

"Awww. Come on! You never let me have fun. Even when we were kids."

"Yeah? Well, at least I didn't run away from home and fake my death when I was 11!" Luca yelled harshly.

"Whoa! Not so loud!" she whispered. "Listen. I can still help with my intel. I'm going, whether you like it or not, because you need me. You just don't know it yet."

"Ugh. Fine," Luca groaned.

"Yay! Yay! Yay! I'm going!" Colby then jumped up and down and cheered.

Five minutes later, the crew entered their cars and drove off down towards Freetown. Strangely, Colby put on sunglasses and looked around the inside of Luca's Huayra, as if she had never seen the interior of a car before. She also stuck her head out of the window and looked back at the other cars.

"Calm down," Luca said while driving. "What are you doing?"

"Well… It's not every day that we get to experience the sun like this…" she said.

"We live in L.A. The sun is practically our outdoor neighbor."

The crew separated and stationed themselves at different roads leading in and out of Freetown. Their plan was to wait for Luca to chase McDaniel's convoy until McDaniel was trapped and surrounded.

Luca entered the town with his sister. He and Colby tried to not attract attention, but the fact that they rode in a bright white supercar that costs millions didn't really help.

Then, just as they figured, crossing at an intersection in front of them: two armored cars with a limo in between them, all in a single-file line.

"Hold on," Luca said to his sister, before pumping the gas and giving chase.

Unsurprisingly, McDaniel noticed as well, and ordered his limo to speed ahead, while his armored escorts turned around to face Luca.

One escort car charged straight towards the siblings, while the other one turned a corner and drove down another street. Luca knew he only had a short amount of time to take out the first charging car before the second car would flank them from behind or from the side.

Putting on a determined face, he accelerated down until he shot the grappling hook at the charging armored car. Using the full strength in his arm, he then swung it around until the car crashed into nearby church. As the religious structure crumbled, the driver got out and ran, only to be impaled on the falling cross from the roof. The rest of the escort car was crushed under debris and rubble.

Meanwhile, the second car came back, turning onto Luca and Colby's tail. Machine guns opened fire, which caused Colby to scream in fear as she covered her ears.

"Hold on!" Luca shouted before accelerating even further. The enemy car was barely able to keep up. Bullets ricocheted all over the Huayra, but its upgraded heavy armor did its job perfectly.

"Luca! We got McDaniel! He's heading towards you now!" Dom said.

"We're all chasing after him! It's all on you!" Brian added.

"I got it…" Luca replied.

"…I hope," he whispered under his breath.

Colby then looked down a street to the right, where she spotted McDaniel in his limo.

"There! Down that way!" she pointed. However, Luca did not respond.

"Wait, where are you going?! He's that way!"

"Watch and wait," Luca responded coolly.

A loud crash was heard. Colby looked in the rear view mirror to see that McDaniel's limo and his escort both failed to stop in time, and collided with one another. Both cars looked as if they were twisted and crushed by Godzilla.

Luca then spun his Huayra in a 180, then headed back towards the crash. The rest of the team already surrounded them.

Everyone raised their rifles and pistols, while Luca and Colby stepped out of the car. Luca then went into the wreckage without a thought, and pulled out a bloody and bruised McDaniel. He was older, definitely in his late 40s to early 50s. He had some gray hair, but most of it was still black. His ruffled beard was down to his neck, while his body was scraggly. He looked as if he hadn't eaten in days.

Luca then picked him up with his prosthetic by the neck and choked him. McDaniel began to gag and turn purple.

"Where is Cipher?! Where is she, bastard?!"

Surprisingly, McDaniel laughed as he choked.

"She's visiting your parents. She'll be paying for their funeral." His bloody mouth formed a wide grin.

Enraged, Luca took out his Desert Eagle and pointed it under McDaniel's chin. Then, fear replaced his smile.

"Say hello to Satan for me," Vader said with vile through his mask.

Without a second thought, he pulled the trigger. Blood and brains blasted out and splattered over Vader. He didn't care though. McDaniel was just another piece to the puzzle of vendetta to him.

As the crew gasped and groaned, Luca deployed Elmo to start a fire. After flames burned brightly, Luca chucked McDaniel into the fire and watched him burned.

He knew he needed to head home, and to head home fast.


	10. Losing his parents twice

The plane ride back was tense and quiet. Everyone was troubled by McDaniel's final words, and offered comfort towards Luca and Colby.

"Thanks guys. We appreciate it. We really do," Colby said smiling.

"We won't let that witch touch your parents," Letty said, wrapping her arm around her.

Meanwhile, Luca was chatting with Dominic.

"Listen, Luca. You're a kid like no other. You're special. But to me, you're more than an asset."

Vader listened, waiting for Dom to continue.

"If anything were to happen…"

"Nothing will happen!" Luca interrupted, shouting.

Dom stared back with an irritated glare.

"Oh, sorry…" Luca said, embarrassed.

"It's alright. Anyway, God forbid, if something were to happen to your parents, how about I adopt you?"

Luca then burst out laughing. After calming down, he responded with tears in his eyes.

"I'm not a child anymore. I don't need parents."

"Perhaps not, but you do need a family," Dom said with a serious face.

"I'm fine with it. I think little Brian will need a big bro."

The two men shook hands.

Los Angeles came into view before they knew it. While everyone headed back to the base, Luca and Colby, along with Buster, drove towards the hospital.

"Hello, Buster," Colby said as she stroked the German Shepherd. After smelling his long-lost owner, Buster barked excitedly and wagged his tail. Luca explained that Buster was sick and couldn't join him and the crew on their trip to Sierra Leone as he drove.

When they arrived, tons of police cars and news vans were gathered around the entrance. News reporters were talking to cameras and conducting interviews, while officers stood guard.

Then, all eyes turned to the siblings. Cameras flashed, and many reporters began shouting over one another.

The brother and sister and their dog ran as fast as they could to avoid the paparazzi. The cops at the entrance recognized them and let them enter.

"I'm so sorry," one of the officers said softly and sadly as they ran by.

Luca's heart then skipped a beat. What did this officer mean?

"What the hell is going on?!" Luca shouted as they entered the elevator.

"I don't know, but please remain calm," Colby responded.

Vader tried his best, but his heart couldn't stop rapidly beating. He couldn't stop sweating. He couldn't stop shaking.

The elevator door opened and they arrived at their parents' floor. They opened the door to their room, and saw something unforgettable.

Thomas and Veronica Slater lay dead in their beds. The heartbeat monitors continued to flatline. They appeared to have been stabbed; their patient gowns were stained red.

And on their pillows, blood-red letters spelled,

 _You are too late. – Cipher_

Luca felt a piece of his soul die in the inside. He fell onto his knees as tears ran down his face. His parents were never going to wake up again, after all.

Buster tried to nudge Thomas and Veronica, hoping that they would move, but they remained still. He whined in sadness.

"Colby, please leave, and take Buster for some food and a walk," he softly said through tears. Buster tried to nudge Thomas and Veronica, hoping that they would move, but they remained still. He whined in sadness.

"But… they're my family too..."

"LEAVE, COLBY! You turned your back on us and left! You caused us pain that we will never be able to mend! You don't deserve to be here! GET OUT!"

Shouting in anger, Colby took Buster's leash and stomped out angrily. As she slammed the door shut, she heard her brother shout and scream in agony and despair before crying heavily. Buster howled in pain, too.

After a couple of hours, the police, news reporters, crowds of fans and paparazzi scattered. Through wet eyes, Luca saw them leave one by one.

He thought about suicide, ripping his mask off. His weakened respiratory system couldn't handle the oxygen and nitrogen, and he would suffocate in minutes.

He could end all of it here and now.

But, he then found a camera in on the table in between the bodies of his parents. There were two videos on the SD card it contained.

Turning it on, he watched the first video. It was of his parents in the hospital. They wore bandages and patient gowns, and smiled brightly.

"Luca."

Luca heard a voice coming from the camera. He recognized it as his father's.

"Luca. When I have heard of your birth while I was deployed in Afghanistan, that was the happiest moment of my life. I was going to be a father. I instantly felt a connection of love between the two of us.

"I was the happiest man the world. I learned that despite the wars we fight and the bad times we go through, the good times are always better. Then, I retired and became a huge movie star. Your mom was a beautiful angel of a model. We were truly blessed with money and fame. But we would choose you over any of those in a heartbeat."

Luca began to cry again.

"But, I knew there was going to come a time that you must decide what kind of man you are going to be. Who you truly are. Now, listen closely. We don't have much time to say more, so we'll tell you this."

Luca then heard his mother.

"When times are bad, son, always stand and get back on your feet. Stand strong. Show us how much you have grown. We will always be with you. We will always watch over you. And speak of the future. Shout and yell of what will happen. That is the will to live."

Luca then heard both of their voices at the same time and saw his parents waving at the camera.

"Goodbye! We love you, son."

The feed cut, and the camera's screen showed the main menu once more. It asked Luca to play the second video.

Luca pressed the "OK" button, and the second video began to play.

The screen revealed Cipher, clad in a black leather outfit, holding a knife. She was in Thomas and Veronica's room.

Luca then saw that his parents were tied and gagged.

"Listen, Vader. Killing Robert McDaniel was the worst decision you have made in your pathetic puny life. What you need to learn and understand is that what you consider to be peace can cause pain for others. And today, you have caused pain for your family. So dishonorable. So selfish. So pathetic. So weak!"

She then inserted her knife into Thomas' throat, and cut and slit Veronica's.

Fury and hatred burned brighter than ever before within Luca's heart.

"Come and find me," Cipher said to the camera in a taunting manner. "You'll see that I have one more surprise in store."

She smiled and winked before the camera turned off.

Luca extracted the SD card, deleted Cipher's video, and smashed the camera within his prosthetic hand.

"I will avenge you! I will show you my power! I WILL KILL CIPHER!" he shouted at his parents' bodies. More tears leaked out as he did so.

Afterwards, he found Colby and Buster outside by the car.

Buster took off and ran to his best friend. Colby followed.

Luca hugged them both and spoke to Cipher.

"I'm sorry I was angry."

"Don't. I understand."

"So, why did you leave?" Luca asked his sister, eager for answers. "You never told me."

"And I will. In time. Let's go home."

Together, the three of them headed back to the base in Luca's Huayra.


	11. Revelations

When Luca, Colby and Buster arrived back at the base, the entire team ran out to meet them.

"Guys! Are you ok? I'm so sorry," Mia said painfully.

Everyone followed and expressed their sympathies.

Colby and Buster greeted and thanked everyone. Meanwhile, Luca kept on walking like a depressed zombie, ignoring everyone, and acted like nothing happened.

As Colby headed to follow him, Dom raised his arm out in front of her to stop her.

"Give him some time," he said gently. "I know how he feels. I lost my father as well."

Letty then gave him a hug and a kiss.

Colby looked towards her brother, then went to play fetch with Buster. The rest of the gang was having a barbecue as well.

Meanwhile, Vader was working out in the gym. He would experience a flashback every once in a while, but it only made him more determined and stronger.

After his workout, he headed to the armory and entered the ammunition supply room.

All around Luca were bullets and shells of every shape and size. From tiny 5.56mm to heavy 105mm tank shells.

He picked out some .50 caliber rounds and sat at a table. Turning a laser cutter on, he etched the word _Cipher_ into each bullet.

"Revenge will be mine," he muttered to himself. His eyes flashed red.

"Did you say something?" a nearby quartermaster asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing," Luca replied, acting as if he said nothing.

Vader then headed back to the barbecue, which was in the recreational area of the DSS building. In no time, he could smell delicious burgers and hot dogs.

"Hey! The terminator's back!" Roman exclaimed as he put his bottle of Corona on the table, stood up and walked towards Luca. The two of them fist bumped.

"Sorry 'bout your mum and dad," Deckard said.

"Don't you worry, we'll get back at that bitch," Owen added.

Luca smiled. Even though his mask obstructed it, the team could tell. They smiled too, because this is the first time in so long that Luca was happy.

"See, this is why we're a team. This is what family is about," Dom said, stepping forward.

"And we will be a literal family," Luca said. He then took out a paper for adoption and handed it to Dom.

"Colby and I are ready for our new parents. All it needs is your signature," Luca said, holding a pen out.

Dom smiled, took the pen, and signed his name in the space below. The crew cheered and clapped.

Luca then went over to the fridge and took out two more Coronas.

"Fine. Just this once," Letty said, eyeing them with caution.

"Ha! Yes!" Colby cheered. Luca then gave her a bottle. Everyone gathered around the table.

"A toast… to family!" Luca said.

"To family!" everyone else replied. The loud clanks of Coronas hitting one another filled the room.

That night, Luca went to gaze out at the lit city surrounding him. He was playing catch with Buster, until Colby joined them.

"May I join?" she asked. Her brother pointed to another chair.

"So… listen," she began. "The reason why I left is…." She then stopped.

"Is what?" Luca asked.

"Because… because Cipher contacted me," Colby replied sounding terrified as the words left her mouth.

Luca raised his eyebrows. "Continue."

"She… she said that she wanted to show me a secret that would change me forever."

"And you just believed her?" Luca said angrily.

"She knew things about mom and dad that no one else knew but us. I had to trust her."

Luca calmed down. "Okay. And what is this 'secret?'"

"You can't tell anyone, especially the crew."

"I won't."

"Cipher is our aunt."

The ball that Luca was holding fell to the ground. Everything seemed to pass by in slow motion. Buster picked it up and tried to give it back to his master, but Luca remained frozen.

"After I met her, we took a DNA test and we compared the results. They were nearly identical," Colby added as proof.

She then pulled out a piece of folded paper from her pocket. These were the results.

Luca could not believe it. There was no way Colby was lying now.

"After meeting her, I did some work along with her and McDaniel," Colby said as she continued her story. "Until Sierra Leone, that is."

"Why were you in Sierra Leone? And why were you beating up one of Cipher's men?"

"First of all, I was in charge of smuggling weapons and drugs, while McDaniel was the head of smuggling people and training Cipher's soldiers. And second, that asshole sexually harassed and assaulted me and grabbed my ass and chest. So, I did what I know best." She smiled and winked.

"Now, I have a question for you, Luca. Why did you call me Hailey when we reunited?"

"Hailey was my nickname for you. You may not remember, but when I was little, dad would take me on survival and camping trips. We used to stargaze at night, and on one magical night, I noticed a bright flying object soaring in the sky. It was Hailey's comet. I decided to nickname you Hailey because it was beautiful, like you."

"Awww, thanks," Colby said softly, blushing. She then kissed her brother on the cheek.

"Luca, do you think that we can be a family? You, me, and these people?" Colby asked with concern.

Luca grabbed and held her hand. Her touch was warm compared to his hand of cold steel.

"Yes. Yes we can." 


	12. The traitor

It was 4 A.M. when Luca received a text on his phone.

 _Get down stairs. Now. – Colby_

Putting on his clothes and grabbing his phone, Luca headed downstairs.

When he arrived, everyone was gathered around the table, either sitting down or standing and pacing the room. Almost everyone had a cup of coffee in their hand.

"Well, well, you're here, terminator," Hobbs said.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Luca asked while yawning.

"Don't know," Letty said while shrugging her shoulders. "Nobody's on his way now."

A few minutes passed, and the door opens. Mr. Nobody, unlike the crew, was dressed in his suit as usual, along with a bright and energetic persona.

Luca felt a nudge. Colby tapped him to wake up as he was dozing off, listening to his earphones.

"Alright, listen. We just came up with which what could be Cipher's next potential target: the Mothership."

When he heard Nobody mention Cipher's name, Vader sprung to life, like he woke up from a nightmare.

"The Mothership is the Air Force's next pet project. It is the new central system for all of America's military drone power all over the world. It is the brain and the heart of the next generation of mechanical warriors. However, if Cipher were to possess it…"

"She would command all of America's drones," Dominic said, connecting the pieces.

After a brief silence and letting this potential reality sink in, Luca asked, "Is this where I kill the bitch?"

"Perhaps," Nobody said, "but your main objective is to protect the Mothership. At all costs."

Luca shuttered, because his father taught him that the words "at all costs" is the polite way of saying that you're fighting until you're killed or captured.

"Well, how do we protect something digital?" Brian asked.

"If it is a computer system, then chances are that it exists as a PDA or USB as its physical form," Ramsey answered professionally.

"Where is it now?" Deckard asked.

"At NORAD HQ, in Colorado," Nobody replied.

"You mean that?" Hobbs asked, pointing at the computer screen. The screen flashed red, along with a notification that showed, "foreign source detected." The screen then shifted towards a map of the continental U.S., and eventually zoomed in over NORAD HQ. An alarm sounded as well, and the tech and computer workers scrambled, furiously typing on their keyboards.

"It's Cipher. Let's roll!" Dom commanded.

"I'll stay and provide some help from here," Ramsey said, sitting at a computer. "Good luck."

The team headed for the roof. No cars this time. They would head out on AH-6 "Little Bird" helicopters.

"Hey! Slater!" Mr. Nobody yelled as he ran towards Luca, who was boarding the lead chopper.

"Take this!" He offered out his hand to Luca. It was a patch that indicated the rank of Commander.

"You seem to know what you're doing. You have my permission to lead my men, along with the Army and Air Force units that will be joining your team. But don't try to fight for Dom's position as alpha. Trust me, you'll never win."

Luca chuckled and took the patch in his prosthetic hand. The helicopter lifted off and headed east. They would make a stop to arm up and refuel before engaging the enemy.

Seven hours later. The sun was beginning to set to the west. The flaming remains of Peterson Air Force Base was visible. Smoke billowed into the sky for miles, and the destroyed remains of aircraft, buildings, and fallen guards littered the landscape.

"Thirty seconds to target," one of the pilots said over the radio.

Luca, Buster, Elmo and Colby were seated on the first helicopter. Dom, Letty and Brian were on the second. The third housed Hobbs and the Shaw brothers. The fourth contained Roman and Tej.

In the front helicopter, Luca noticed two F-15E Eagles flying alongside them.

Over the radio, Luca could hear one of the Eagle pilots.

"Raptor 2-1, this is Jester 1-1, flight of two, packing four HARMs. Standing by to engage."

"Good tone," the other pilot said. "HARMs away." Four missiles, two from each aircraft, impacted a barricade of enemy troops, tanks, and armored vehicles on the ground.

"Good kill, good kill," the pilot said as he and his squadron mate turned away. "Raptor 2-1, they're all yours."

The four helicopters flew just 10 to 12 yards from the building rooftops. Dozens of enemies were crawling all over, aiming their weapons at the helicopters.

"All snipers, this is Vader. Standby to engage." Everyone pulled out their sniper rifles and loaded them.

"Stabilize," Luca ordered to the pilot, and the helicopter stopped shaking around.

"All snipers, you're cleared to engage. Pop 'em."

Sniper bullets came from the helicopters, effectively taking out all of the men on the rooftop.

But Luca knew he wasn't done yet. He saw more bad guys on another rooftop to the right.

"Shift right," he ordered the pilot. The pilot responded with "Shifting," and the helicopter moved right and stabilized once more.

Luca and his sister eliminated the ten soldiers on this rooftop. Afterwards, he once again commanded the pilot to shift right, and the pilot obeyed.

This time, before Luca could aim his rifle, he felt the AH-6 shake violently, and heard a loud, booming noise. He looked to see a F-15 fly just feet from them. Because of the strong gust of wind from plane's engines, the helicopter began to head into a spin downwards. However, the pilot managed to regain control.

"Mr. Nobody, get the Air Force to cease fire immediately! That was WAY too close!" Luca said, sounding almost in a panic.

"I'll see what I can do. Capturing or killing Cipher means nothing to the Air Force at this point. They just want their base back."

"Damn flyboys. I thought they were on our side," Colby said irritably.

"Relax. Cut the chatter and stay frosty," Luca said in a strict voice.

The helicopters touched down, and Luca and the crew poured out. Covering their advance was a division of M1 Abrams tanks and lightly armored vehicles and troop carriers. Eventually, five platoons of U.S. Army men and women rushed to support them.

"Alright. According to my scans and readings, Cipher is still in the main structure," Ramsey said over the radio.

"Alright, let's move!" Dom said. Everyone ran into the building. Strangely, there was no opposition waiting for them.

"Did we get them all?" Tej asked.

"No, this is a trap, waiting to be sprung," Brian replied.

As they entered, they were met by a series of doors.

"Alright, I'm patched into the central system," Ramsey said. "I'll take care of these."

The doors buzzed and opened.

"Ramsey, do you have a location on Cipher, or the Mothership?" Luca asked.

"No, but I have automated machine gun sentry turrets under my control. They'll help to thin the bad guys out."

Four machine guns sprung from the ceiling and massacred an incoming squad of enemies.

Eventually, the crew stumbled onto another pair of doors.

"Ramsey, we need these opened," Brian said.

"Working on it. This software is complicated as hell," Ramsey replied.

A buzzer sounded, but the door furthest from them opened. The one closest to them remained shut.

"Wrong door, Ramsey," Letty said.

"Sorry about that, standby… and, got it!" Ramsey replied.

The door then finally opened, allowing the team to move forward.

"We'll need more guns," Colby said, knowing their troubles were just beginning.

"Let's head for that armory," Dom said, pointing to a room that spelled _ARMORY_ above the door.

When they entered, there were rifles, shotguns, small and big machine guns, and tons of armor and ammo along the racks and shelves. There was a back door that led out of the room.

"See anything you like?" Roman asked.

After resupplying, Luca said, "Ramsey, open this back door."

The door buzzed and began to open, but it stopped halfway.

"Bloody hell, Cipher's hackers must've blocked it from the mainframe. I'll need to run a bypass," Ramsey said.

"Too late, we've got company," Deckard and Owen said.

Just then, bullets from every direction were flying towards them. They shattered through the windows, causing shards to cut almost everyone.

As he ducked behind an ammo shelf, Luca deployed Elmo. The drone opened up and equipped its laser.

"You know what to do," Luca said with a small smile.

"Yes sir," the drone replied. It peaked over the shelf and fired its laser. Even though Luca couldn't see the enemies, he could definitely hear them. Screams could be heard around them.

"All hostiles have been eliminated, sir," Elmo said.

"Thanks, Elmo," Luca replied, and the drone landed on his shoulder.

Behind them, the door finally opened, leading to a series of hallways.

"Follow this, and you'll reach the Mothership, hopefully before Cipher does," Ramsey said.

"Roger that," Luca said. He turned to the rest of the crew.

"Listen guys, I appreciate the help, but this is something we have to do on our own." Buster barked and ran towards him, and Colby followed.

"But, we're family," Letty said. "We can't just leave…"

She was stopped when Dom raised his hand at her.

"I understand what you're going through. This is something personal. If you need to settle this by yourselves, you may do so."

As Luca and Dom shook hands, Luca smiled to everyone else. He, Colby, Elmo and Buster headed down the hall, while the crew watched.

Luca, Colby, Buster and Elmo eventually reached a door. Because of Buster's sudden wild barking, Luca knew they were in the right place.

"This is it; the Mothership," Luca said in awe.

Colby opened the door and seemed to act strange again. She turned towards the wall, covered her ear and began to whisper.

"Uh, you ok, sis?" Luca asked, obviously confused.

Snapping out of her trance, Colby said, "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm good."

Together, they entered the room. They noticed a blonde woman that was about to grab the Mothership chip.

"CIPHER!" Luca shouted, his rage growing by the second.

As the woman turned, she cackled.

"Well, well, if it isn't my lovely niece and nephew. How are you?"

"Shut up, you wretched bitch! You will die for your sins!" Luca said. His blonde mohawk glowed in the dim light. Buster growled alongside him.

"Sins? Oh, don't act like you're free of sin too, my nephew. You're unafraid to kill anyone who gets in your way. You spent your life trying to get revenge on me, when you should've just forgave and forgot. You are the child, the son of a demon, your father and my brother. Oh? Has he never told you his dark past? I shouldn't be surprised.

"One day, as he and his squad was patrolling a rebel base in Iraq, Thomas came under fire from Taliban troops. One by one, his squad were picked off. He was then consumed by his fury, and not only eviscerated and desecrated the Taliban men, but also gunned down a nearby school full of children and teachers. My brother was no longer a saint, like he was before, but a demon, baptized in blood. Innocent blood."

"That's filthy bullshit!" Luca yelled. "Where's the proof?!"

Cipher then took out a tablet and turned it on. When Luca took it, he saw everything Cipher told him. His fallen brothers-in-arms. The Taliban. The teachers and schoolkids.

Vader froze, dropping the tablet. As it fell, it shattered. His mechanical breathing filled the room.

"Now, you see, this is why I had to kill your father. The first time five years ago was a failure, but the second just a couple of days ago was successful."

No response from Luca. He still couldn't move.

"And now, I kill you, and end your family line of psychotic animals."

From behind, Luca felt a shocking pain, and he fell onto his knees. He couldn't move his prosthetics, and his breathing began to falter. He knew that was hit by electricity, but from what?

His sister walked around him, her hand holding a stun gun.

"C-colby… w-why?" Luca weakly asked as he slowly connected the dots.

"Sorry, brother. But our aunt is right. Our country, no, the world is full of insane killers like you, and we must purge them. Everyone, from corrupt and warmongering politicians to 'soldiers' that kill for a 'righteous' reasons. We will bring peace, Luca. Peace by destroying everything and everyone."

"Y-you t-traitor…" Luca gasped as he saw two of Cipher's men restrained Elmo and Buster.

"No. Not a traitor. Just doing the right thing," Colby said evilly.

She then gave the Mothership to Cipher, who inserted it into the mainframe, and began to hack it. An alarm sounded, with a PA announcement saying that the drones were under the control of a foreign source.

"N-no…" Luca weakly said as he reached his hand out.

"Don't worry, Luca. I won't kill you," Cipher taunted, bending down to her crawling nephew. "I'm just going to hurt you. Really. Really. Badly. Until you beg for death."

The last thing Luca saw was Cipher's boot in his face.


	13. Death and destruction

When Luca came to his senses, everything was black. But he was certain he was awake.

As his vision came into focus, he noticed light coming from small gaps in his vision. He then realized that a sack was over his head, and he was lying down and tied up.

Luca could hear chatter in the distance, growing closer.

"… can't be allowed to leave, he will reveal our position."

"Understood, aunt. I will begin interrogations."

"Excellent."

The voices belonged to Cipher and the traitor Colby.

The door then opened, and Luca could hear footsteps instead of voices increasing in volume.

The footsteps then stopped.

"Hello brother," Colby whispered.

She then yanked the sack off Luca's head. Luca winced as he was blinded for a few seconds before the image of Colby developed before him.

"Why?" Luca gasped weakly. "Why, Colby?"

Colby remained silent while a malicious smile formed across her face.

"ANSWER ME!" Luca screamed, while struggling violently to break free of his restraints.

"Shhhh," Colby said, placing a finger over her brother's mouth.

"Save your strength. You'll need it."

She grabbed an electric prod and jabbed it at her brother. Luca screamed and flailed in pain, while Colby seemed to show no regret of her actions.

"Where is Dominic Toretto and the crew?"

Luca responded by spitting in her face.

Colby then grabbed Luca's face and slapped it hard. Luca felt the sharp sting before the burning electricity coursed through his body once more.

In one instant, everything went black for Luca, but came back in the next. He awoke to see with Colby with a syringe.

"Careful Colby, you'll waste our morphine supply on this failure of a nephew."

Luca knew who that was. Cipher.

"Listen very carefully, Luca," she whispered. "I have control over all of America's drones. What happens depends all on you. You give the location of Toretto and his little 'family' and America doesn't get leveled into dust."

"I would NEVER sell my family out," Luca said.

"So be it. Tsk tsk tsk," Cipher said. She then nodded to Cipher, and she left the room.

"Wait, where are you going? What are you doing?" Luca asked, his voice increasing in panic.

"You might want to catch up on the television," Colby responded.

She then turned the TV on, and tuned in to the local L.A. news.

"We're live from the U.S. Bank building, where fleets of U.S. Air Force drones appear to be attacking the city and other areas of Los Angeles." The camera then turned to see fire and smoke dotting the landscape. Explosions, screams and sirens could be heard.

 _No. This is all my fault,_ Luca thought to himself.

"We may not be able to reverse this damage, but we can stop it," Colby said, disrupting Luca's thoughts. "All you have to do is tell us where the crew is."

"Right behind you," a familiar voice spoke. Colby turned around slowly with a look of terror on her eyes.

Behind her stood Dominic Toretto, who then swung his right fist at Colby's face, knocking her out cold.

"Dom!" Luca shouted with joy. Dom then rushed over and untied his adopted son.

"Thanks," Luca groaned, feeling his burnt and scarred skin caused by Colby's electric prod. "But we need to still rescue Elmo and Buster."

"They already have been," Dom said assuredly.

"Really?" Vader asked, his mechanical breathing growing raspy.

"You think I came alone? The first rule of family: We're all in this together. No matter how hard or rough it gets."

Dom then put his arm around Luca's shoulder and neck, supporting him. This proved difficult, since Vader's prosthetic arm and leg short-circuited.

As they exited the room, Hobbs stumbled upon them.

"The plane is clear. No sign of Cipher or the Mothership."

"We're on a plane?" Luca weakly asked. Hobbs nodded at him.

"And we're in the air," Dom continued. "Which means we'll have to parachute out."

"I'll land the plane at LAX," Hobbs said. "You two get outta here, and take Vader to DSS headquarters. I'll fly over the building, and you two jump out over it." Hobbs then rushed towards the cockpit, while Dom and Luca limped towards the cargo hatch.

"Why can't we stay with Hobbs when he lands the plane at L.A. International Airport?" Luca asked, gasping through his respirator.

"I don't think you understand how injured you are, Luca. We stay with Hobbs, and you'll be dead before you get on a hospital bed. Trust us, we know what we're doing. Now, put this chute on."

Luca strapped his parachute on, like a backpack. When Hobbs radioed saying to jumped, Dom and Luca fell.

As Luca was in freefall, he saw the extensive damage that Cipher's drones had done.

"It's not looking good," Dom said, as if he was reading Vader's mind. "People are dying and losing everything because of that blonde bitch." Luca could obviously sense Dom's strong anger and hate coming from his voice.

"We'll get her, I promise," Luca said, trying to comfort Dom.

They pulled their parachute chords, and made their way to the DSS building. Medical staff rushed to meet them. Luca was then rested onto a hospital bed and rushed inside.

Luca wasn't the only one who was hurt. Countless men, women, and children of all ages and races filled the front room. Like Luca, they laid in hospital stretchers and beds, with doctors treating them. Zipped body bags were in the back. Shouting, crying, groaning and screaming could be heard.

"Hospitals began to overflow, so the DSS is an acting triage and medical care center," Dom said as he walked alongside Luca.

Luca eventually was parked alongside an old man who lost and eye and a bandaged little girl, who was crying while holding her Barbie doll.

Doctors bandaged and cleaned Luca's flesh and skin, while engineers repaired his prosthetics.

While he recovered, he saw that both the little girl and old man next to him both died. Their families cried and wept. Luca's heart tore while his eyes teared up.

He swore vengeance on Colby and Cipher. And this time, he would not fail.


	14. The time for payback

After being cleared for discharge, Luca headed back to his room. It was dimly lit with Christmas lights strung around the walls. On the table, his weapons and ammo were neatly organized next to pictures of his parents.

He then picked up a photo of Colby. While staring at it, Vader felt anger building up within. He began to twitch. His vision began to turn red. His grasp on the picture tightened.

Tightened until a loud crack was heard.

Luca then snapped out of his rage. He looked to see the crushed glass and crumpled picture within his prosthetic hand.

Buster then walked into his room with a sad wimper.

"Don't worry, boy. They'll pay," Luca said gently while stroking Buster's fur with his normal hand. Buster panted patiently.

Vader then walked over to another table and turned on the lamp that hovered over. The light revealed Elmo, damaged but still operational. Putting on goggles and grabbing his tools, Vader went to work.

After half an hour, Luca finished repairs and upgrades on Elmo. Taking off his goggles, he activated Elmo and switched him on.

"What have you done to me, sir?" the drone asked.

"Stronger. Faster. Deadlier," Luca replied coolly.

"Huh. Armor has been increased by 30%. Propeller and engine upgraded by 45%. Laser system improved by 50%. Most impressive, sir."

At that moment, Mr. Nobody entered the room.

"We have located Cipher and your sister."

"Where?" Luca said, standing up swiftly.

"It's best if you see for yourself." Nobody then gestured his hand towards the control room. Luca, Buster, and Elmo exited the room.

When the four of them entered the control room, the center table was surrounded by Dom, Hobbs, Brian, the Owens, Letty, Roman, Tej, Mia and the kids.

"Ladies. Gentlemen," Mr. Nobody began. "We have found the location of Cipher and Colby Slater."

He then pressed a button on the large computer screen. The image zoomed into a familiar image.

It was Luca's house. Somehow, it was still in one piece, despite being abandoned for years and the recent drone attacks.

"We know this because the Mothership's signal is emitting from this location," Nobody continued.

"I can get us there," Vader said, "although I don't expect a simple and smooth ride."

"Luca's right," Letty said. "I'm betting that Cipher is using all of her available forces to protect the Mothership."

"We'll have to split into teams," Dom said.

"Divide and conquer. I like it," Brian said, nodding with a grin.

"Remember, the world is at stake," Nobody said. "Godspeed, and good luck."

Mia and Brian kissed. Hobbs hugged Samantha. Dominic and Letty cuddled their Brian in their arms.

Meanwhile, Luca went back to his room.

When Luca opened the door, he grabbed and equipped his weapons. He looked over to a picture of his parents and kissed it.

He then saw another picture of his sister. Luca simply pulled out his Desert Eagle and shot it before heading back out.

The crew then headed for the garage downstairs. When the elevator door opened, dozens of super, muscle and sports cars lined up down the huge facility.

"Now you're speaking our language," a satisfied Dom said.

Dom entered his classic Dodge Challenger, while Brian drove his tricked-out Subaru. Hobbs picked a heavily armored DSS truck. Letty chose an Audi, the Shaws selected a Mercedes, Roman reunited with his orange Lamborghini and Tej took his tank. Finally, Vader revved the engine of his Huayra. Mia and Ramsey stayed behind along with Nobody and the kids.

The eight vehicles exited the garage in a single-file convoy.

When Dom gave the order to separate, the team split. Dom, Letty and Luca continued straight ahead. Deckard, Owen, and Hobbs headed towards the left. Tej and Roman went to the right.

All three teams were chased by countless armored buggies, choppers and hacked drones, all of which were spewing bullets. Fortunately, the armor of Vader's Huayra caused the hundreds of rounds to either ricochet or make harmless dents in the armor.

The chase winded throughout Los Angeles. The speeding cars and gunshots caused mass panic among the countless pedestrians and drivers across the city. Screams filled the air. People ran and drove frantically. Many civilians took their phones out and began to record the chaos.

Eventually, Luca ramped off a freeway overpass and onto a lower lane. The pursuing hostile driver and two drones following Luca spun out of control and crashed into one another. Merely escaping the large explosions by inches and seconds, Vader took control of his vehicle before it spun off the freeway and onto the ground below.

After taking a few seconds to catch his breath, Luca then met up with Dom and Letty and continued towards his house. Buster jumped into the passenger's seat, and Elmo lay in the backseat in his compact form.

Eventually, the team met up at Luca's mansion. Tons of vehicles belonging to Cipher's army were parked up front and in the parking lot. Two guards were standing at the front door.

Luca was the first to get out of his car. He walked towards the guards while the rest of the team stared with worried faces.

"Hey! You! Freeze! Hands in the air!" one of the guards yelled. They both aimed their rifles at Luca.

Luca slowly raised his arms. When the guards were in range, Luca countered. He disarmed both guards and choked one by the neck with his prosthetic hand. He kicked the other guard and picked up his rifle. After shooting the guard with his own rifle, Luca then crushed the throat of the other guard, and dropped him like a ragdoll.

"Shall we continue?" Luca asked, pointing to the unprotected door.

The team looked at one another with an amazed look before following Luca.

Together, the nine of them entered the mansion, now controlled by Cipher and Colby.


	15. Ballad of two cyborgs

The first thing that Luca noticed was how the mansion was in good shape, even after years of abandonment. Not a single speck of dirt or dust or any broken glass, or objects, for that matter.

With guns raised and cautious steps, the crew advanced, going from room to room, floor to floor.

Everything was fine until Vader noticed four guards in the big kitchen. One was getting drinks from the fridge. Another was cooking on the stove. The other two were sitting on chairs and chatting.

"They're mine," Vader whispered through his apparatus.

Sneaking behind the guard getting drinks, Luca wrapped his head and snapped his neck silently.

Next were the two guards chatting. Vader noticed a bottle of wine, a cleaning cloth, and smoking lighter on the main table. Vader grabbed all of them and created a Molotov cocktail. After igniting the cloth, he threw the ignited bottle right in between the guards. Luca enjoyed their screams as they were engulfed by flames.

Before the guard that was cooking sounded the alarm over the radio, Luca grabbed the back of his head and rammed his face into the ignited stovetop. The guard's screams were muffled as he frantically attempted to pull free of Vader's grip. But it was no use. In seconds, the yells and squirming stopped.

The rest of the crew reported to Luca, stating that the mansion was clear. Except for Colby and Cipher.

Luca told the gang that ending this was personal, and that he would save Cipher for Dom. He responded eagerly.

Colby and Cipher's voices were growing louder and louder as Luca climbed up the stairs. They seemed to be coming from Colby's room.

When Luca got to the room, he pulled out his golden Desert Eagle and kicked the door down. However, only Cipher was seen, a smirk across her face. The Mothership beeped and flashed behind her.

"You're gonna die, aunt."

"Hmph. We'll see. I can't wait for my two little cyborgs to clash."

Suddenly, Colby grabbed and tackled her brother from behind. However, she seemed different.

After Luca stood back up to face his sister, she revealed her new upgrade. Vader widened his eyes and gasped in horror.

Since the time of Colby's betrayal, she undergone cybernetic surgeries, like her brother. She looked similar to Luca, with a prosthetic left arm and leg. However, instead of a breathing mask around her face, her right eye was replaced by a cyber eye that glowed red.

"Wow, you decided to copy my style. Surprising," Luca said coolly. Deep down, though, he was terrified.

"Have you forgotten that we are living proof of the next step of human evolution?" Colby asked. "I have gratefully accepted this fate from Cipher. I ask that you join us. Together, the three of us would be unstoppable!"

"To join the woman that murdered my parents?! OUR parents?! Do their deaths mean nothing to you?!" Luca felt his rage intensify.

"Cipher is our family!" Colby yelled.

"And you are nothing more than a mass murderer, killing thousands of innocents! I only hope that Satan and God give you mercy after I kill you!" Luca never felt so angry.

"Yes. I say the same to you. Goodbye, brother." Colby spoke almost with sorrow and sadness, but Luca didn't care.

Luca charged toward Colby yelling. Colby responded with a charge of her own. Both of them shattered through the railing and fell to the ground floor.

Colby and Luca slowly recovered to their feet. Luca noticed Cipher watching from above, looking extremely interested.

Colby began to pick up and throw chairs and tables with just her prosthetic. All Luca could do was dodge and move. Until he caught one of the chairs and threw it back at his sister. Then, it was Colby's turn to be of the defensive.

After blocking the thrown chair, she found herself pinned on the ground by her brother. Colby desperately tried to free herself, but to no avail.

Just before Luca was about to terminate his sister, he felt something sharp in his back. The pain caused him to let go of Colby, who was coughing and gasping.

In anger, Vader looked back to see Cipher, knives in her hands. She threw another one, which only managed to give Vader's mohawk a close shave.

Thinking that she could take advantage of this distraction, Colby quickly recovered and tried to grapple Luca from behind. However, Vader sensed her in time and threw her across the room, tossing her into a wall and causing it to crack.

Removing the Cipher's knife, which was still in his back, Luca yelled, "You and my sister shall do well to remember; I have cheated death so many times that he now fears me!"

After Colby stood back up, she hardened her prosthetic arm and fused her metallic fingers. Eventually, it turned into a large blade. Vader also did the same with his arm.

Both charged, blades raised. They parried. They blocked. They slashed, cut and thrusted. Sparks flew and the clanging of steel rung throughout the building.

"Finish him!" Cipher screamed.

Looking up, Colby nodded with determination. Just as she was about to strike Luca down, Vader quickly kicked his sister's stomach with his cybernetic leg. As she lurched downwards in pain, Vader then cut off both of Colby's legs, both prosthetic and flesh-and-blood.

"Tsk tsk tsk. Dissapointing," an overconfident Luca mocked.

Just then, Cipher grabbed Luca's Desert Eagle and shot Luca in the back, right in the knife wound. The bullet was so strong that Luca saw the bullet exit out through his chest. So weak and so hurt that no words could come from his mouth, Luca fell to his knees.

Lying in wait in front of him, Colby jumped up and ripped Luca's breathing apparatus off of his face. Because the explosion that Luca was in damaged his respiratory system, he couldn't breathe normal oxygen. It was too thick, and Luca would suffocate slowly but surely without his respirator.

He lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood. Through the broken roof, Luca saw drones zoom across the sky. Then, Cipher's face hovered over him, shrouding him in darkness.

"Goodbye, Luca Slater. May you be reunited with your parents again… in Hell."

Cipher then walked over to Colby, and carried her. She also took the Mothership and placed it in her pocket. Luca watched the two of the head for the exit of the house.

"Come on, Luca." Luca heard a mysterious yet familiar voice.

"You're just going to give up?" another voice spoke.

He then realized that the voices came from his parents. Whether this was really happening or if this was his imagination, he didn't know.

"Luca, what do you do when times are hard? What is it that you do that you do better than anyone else?"

"I.. I stand back up," Luca weakly murmured.

"Well, do it. Avenge us and save the world, once and for all."

"I will. I promise."

Luca then wobbled back up. He then roared and yelled, powered by adrenaline and electrical surges in his circuits. Luca then rushed after his sister and aunt.

The look on the faces on Cipher and Colby were of fear that they had never experienced before.


	16. She was still my sister

Luca charged, as if he was being propelled by fire. Screaming in a berserk manner, he raised his right arm and swung down on Cipher's back. She groaned and fell, dropping Colby. While Cipher was stunned, Luca pounced on his sister, rapidly throwing punches while growling like a rabid dog.

He couldn't control himself. This wasn't the first time Luca went into one of his intense furies. Throughout his childhood, he would violently attack any bullies who picked on him, until he became known as "The Beast" by his classmates, friends, and teachers.

After that, no one would dare to try to steal Vader's lunch money. Classmates would whimper, and bow at his mere presence. Girls fell for him. Teachers feared him. Bullies respected him. However, he would never attack anyone deliberately.

Colby had only heard of Luca's notorious anger. She never experienced it. Until now.

When Vader stopped punching his sister, his right fist was bloodied and bruised, while his left fist was dented. However, Colby was much worse. She had a broken and bloody nose, multiple bruises, black eyes, missing teeth and swollen lumps all over her face. Some of her blonde hair was torn out due to Luca's immense strength.

After realizing what he did, Luca stepped back. There it was. The feelings of guilt and remorse that he felt every time he snapped out of his madness.

However, Luca knew he had to hold it together, because he was going to kill his sister. But more importantly, he had to retrieve the Mothership.

Looking back, Luca saw Cipher run out of the mansion. She also dropped the Mothership. It was obvious that she wasn't coming back.

"See, sister?" Luca began. "Our aunt doesn't care about me. She doesn't care about her men. She certainly doesn't care about you. All she cares about is herself."

"No… No… I live to serve! I only exist to serve Cipher! She saved me when there was no one else! When YOU turned your back on me!" Colby yelled.

"Because you ran from us!" Luca responded with a shout. "Without telling us, I might add. And you think that the way to get back at us is to turn America's military on itself?!"

The Mothership lay between Colby and Luca. Both siblings stared at the device before dashing for it. However, Luca used a propulsion upgrade, secretly installed into his leg during his free time, and was able to snatch the Mothership.

Colby fell to her knees, her eyes beginning to tear up.

"Please. Please don't do it," she pleaded.

"On the contrary, my sister," Luca said as he pulled out his golden Desert Eagle, "I cannot allow this to end otherwise."

Luca then threw the Mothership to the ground and stomped on it.

"NO!" Colby screamed. "All of our hard work and planning…"

"…Was for nothing," Luca finished. "Now, it's time for you to pay."

Luca raised his pistol to Colby's head. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Colby looked upward.

Luca did the same, and saw a disabled drone, shut down during the Mothership's destruction. It began to plummet towards the mansion, growing bigger by the second.

At the last moment, both Luca and Colby jumped out of the way as the drone crashed through the glass ceiling.

When the dust settled, Luca was able to stand up with no problem. He put his apparatus back onto his head and picked the shards of glass out of his chest and arms.

Colby, however, was not so lucky. She wasn't able to clear the drone in time, and was pinned down by the resulting debris.

Weakily, she begged, "Luca, please. Help… me."

Vader laughed uncontrollably in response.

"What was it that you said? 'I live to serve? I exist only to serve Cipher?' Well, congratulations. You. Just. Did."

Luca then pulled the trigger and shot his sister's head. As the blood poured and her eyes closed, Luca could have sworn that Colby's last words were, "I love you."

Luca then headed for the door. Just as he was about to head out, he turned around to see his sister one more time. A tear leaked from Luca's eye, but he quickly wiped it away.

Luca drove back to DSS headquarters in his Huayra just as the sun began to set. When he arrived back, everybody was waiting for him.

Luca was overwhelmed by welcomes, greets, hugs, handshakes and high-fives.

"Welcome back, Mr. Mohawk!" Roman said.

"We were worried about you," Brian followed.

Then came the big question.

"Where's Colby?" Mia asked while cuddling Jack.

"D-dead," Luca responded as if he was on the verge on tears. "By my hand."

Silence fell over the crew.

"I'm sorry," Dominic said. "We're all sorry." Everyone nodded.

"She was still my sister," Luca went on. "But she was also a traitor. And the lowest circle in hell is reserved for traitors. No one hurts my family and escapes. At least not alive."

It was at this moment that Luca learned the true definition of family.


	17. What family means

That night, Luca couldn't get a wink of sleep. Every time he closed his eyes, Colby smiled so innocently and happily in front of him.

Eventually, he got out of bed and left his quarters. He checked his phone, and it read "3:37 A.M."

When Luca placed his phone back in his pocket, he stumbled into the armory and training course. The lights were still on, and all the cars were parked perfectly.

"Well, since I'm here, why don't I give a little upgrade to my Huayra?" Luca asked himself before giving an exhausted sigh.

Just then, Luca felt something soft brush against his left leg. He looked down to find Buster, who followed his master to the training course.

The German Shepherd whined before lying on the ground. In order to occupy the canine, Vader tossed Buster a bone.

Luca finished installing a new spoiler, modified the turbocharger, and upgraded the tires with bulletproof rubber.

He then heard a knock, which came from Dominic. Luca then opened the door and let his new father in.

"I heard crying earlier," Luca said. "That Brian?"

"Yeah. He was hungry, but Letty settled him down," Dom replied.

After a minute of silence, Dom addressed the elephant in the room.

"I'm sorry about Colby. I know that she still meant a lot to you, even if Cipher corrupted her."

"She's still my little sister, no matter how much I try to deny it."

"I know. I understand exactly the feeling of loss you feel. When Elena, Brian's real mom, died, I was helpless to do anything. Just like how helpless you felt when you saw Cipher turn your sister against us. The pain will pass, but never fully."

"Thanks," Luca said, smiling beneath his mask.

Dom placed his hand on Luca's shoulder.

"Wanna get some early breakfast?"

"Sure," Luca said. Buster barked in agreement.

Dom stood up and pet Buster. Buster barked in joy.

Together, the dog and two men headed down to the mess hall.

Several hours later, Luca was placing gel on his mohawk when he got a call from Little Nobody.

"Hey, Luca. Come over to the New York rooftop. We're all meeting there."

Luca dressed in a tank top and leather jacket, black jeans and white Jordans. He gathered Buster and grabbed his car keys.

A car ride that spanned the length of the country was satisfying to Luca. Most of the road was empty, allowing Luca to accelerate to vision-blurring speeds.

Before he knew it, Luca was parking his supercar in the apartment's parking lot. He and Buster exited and headed towards the elevator.

Just as Luca pressed the elevator button, his phone rang. Just from looking at the caller ID, Luca knew that this call wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Luca, sweetie. This is far from over," Cipher's haunting voice echoed through the speaker.

Luca took the phone away from his ear, looked at the phone with shocked, widened eyes, and placed it by his ear again.

You shouldn't be surprised. I am a survivor. Anyway, I will come back. I don't know when, and I don't know where, but I do know I will. And you chose the wrong side."

The call ended. Buster looked up at Luca.

"No, buddy. I won't tell them. At least not yet." Luca then pet Buster assuredly, and the German Shepherd barked happily.

The elevator then pinged and the doors opened. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Luca.

The whole crew was here. Dominic. Letty. Brian. Little Brian. Mia. Hobbs. Roman. Tej. Ramsey. The Owens. The Nobodys. The kids as well.

"Ah, if it isn't the lad of the hour!" Deckard said while raising his glass. Everyone else either clapped or raised their drinks as well. Luca raised a fist in response.

Everyone went back to their own activities and conversations while Luca grabbed a bottle of water and went to look out at the iconic New York view.

Eventually, Letty went over to call Luca over for dinner. She also handed Luca a note.

"What's this?" Luca asked.

"Basically, Ramsey has a little crush on you, Luca."

She then nodded her head over towards Ramsey.

Ramsey winked at him with a smile and a wave. Luca couldn't help but wave and flew his arm back.

Everyone took their seats around the table.

Dominic then began to speak.

"As we all know, tonight we play host to a young man. A man with a body of steel, mentality of a true fighter, and a mohawk that makes him look like a rock metal band member. The son of a former Marine and movie star and world-famous model. But above all, he saved the world and new family. Luca Slater."

Applause and cheers rang out.

"Speech!" Letty yelled while holding baby Brian. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Alright then," Luca said, sounding defeat, standing up.

"When I first met you guys, I was a broken mess. I was enraged. I was depressed. But it was you guys that saved me. And for that, I can never thank you enough. Because of you, I was rebuilt. Because of you, I found out who I was. And because of you, I learned what the true definition of family is. Cheers."

"Cheers," everyone else replied, raising their glasses.

"Alright, I'll say grace," Luca said as he sat down. Everyone grabbed each other's hands and closed their eyes.

Dear God, we thank you for keeping us safe every day. We thank you for providing us with this delicious food. And most importantly, we thank you for allowing our family to bond closer than ever before. Amen."

THE END

Thank you for reading my entire Fast and Furious fanfiction. This is definitely a film franchise than I won't soon forget.

Now when it comes to my next project, I have no plans now or the immediate future as of the release of this chapter. When a new story pops in my head, I will let you know.


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